If I were in the market for a 1200 w/s battery pack today, there is no doubt in my mind that the Hensel Porty Lithium 12 would be a top contender. I reached this conclusion after having the opportunity to spend some time with the Porty Lithium 12 thanks to the folks at Hensel USA, and Fotocare in New York. For the location photographer, there is much to like about the Porty Lithium 12: It is one of the lightest 1200 w/s battery powered units weighing in at 13 lbs and that is with the battery on-board. The unit has outlets for two heads which can be powered 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3. There are seven f-stop power levels (a six f-stop range) which is adjustable in 1/10 increments or in full stops. The Porty Lithium 12 is also among the fastest 1200 w/s battery generators with recycle at full power in 1.95 seconds, placing it a mere .15 seconds behind the heavier, more expensive Profoto B2. With the Porty Lithium 12, Hensel has bested the performance or its own popular Porty Premium with respect to three aspects which are important to photographers: Weight, size, and performance.

If you are considering the Porty Lithium 12, the one light kit seems to be the most attractive and “cost-effective” option. In addition to the generator (which has a built-in Hensel Strobe Wizard radio receiver) and battery, the kit includes: One Hensel EH-Pro Mini 1200P flash head; a fully detachable head cable; a 7” reflector; one light stand; the Porty Lithium Quick Charger; and a soft wheeled case. The flash head has a 65 watt modeling lamp which puts out the equivalent of 120 watt incandescent bulb. As with most battery generators, the lower powered modeling lamp will be useful under some circumstances and sub-optimal in others. The kit comes with a Hensel Strobe Wizard Plus Transmitter which can be mounted on the camera to facilitate flash triggering, as well as being used to adjust flash output and modeling lamp intensity. While the current MAP of the Porty Lithium 12 Kit is $4450USD, you should check with Hensel dealers for street pricing and availability, as availability may vary by dealer. A complete list of dealers is available on the Hensel USA site.

The Porty Lithium 12 is well made. The fit, finish and extent of “environmental” sealing/protection is excellent. The controls are as intuitive as it gets. The squat profile of the unit and wood handle suggest it is substantial in weight, but when you pick it up don’t be surprised if you marvel, as I did, at how light the unit actually is. I was also keenly aware at the lightness of the Pro Mini 1200P head. Hensel officially list the weight of the head at 5.7 pounds, but that includes the 16 foot cord. The head alone weighs in the vicinity of three pounds. Hensel wisely designed the unit with a detachable cord, which is of great assistance for packing and storage, and is a feature I would like to see more manufacturers adopt. The head comes with a clear dome and a protector cap. The light is clean and in my opinion on par with that of other premium brand products. In my testing, the units recycled as fast as Hensel claims at full power.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hensel Lithium 12 is the battery. Hensel is the first lighting manufacturer, to my knowledge, to offer a lithium battery in a portable generator. In order to understand the significance of the lithium battery, one only has to compare the battery of the Porty Lithium 12 and the older Porty Premium Plus: At full power, Hensel estimates about 230 pops for the lithium battery vs. 250 pops for the Porty Premium Plus battery. Let’s not split hairs over 20 pops and call them roughly equivalent. The Lithium 12 battery/cassette weights 2.5 pounds; the Porty Premium battery and drawer weighs nearly 9 pounds. For the traveling photographer who is concerned about weight of gear, the weight differential, particularly if one needs to carry multiple batteries, is significant. If the weight of the Lithium 12’s battery is the upside, the downside of the lithium technology is that the batteries are expensive: A second lithium battery/cassette runs over $500 USD. To be fair, the price of an extra Hensel lithium battery/cassette (2.5 lbs) is in the same range as a second battery and drawer (11.4lbs) for a Profoto B2.

The Hensel Porty Lithium 12 may become an even more versatile tool for photographers if the long-rumored AC adapter becomes available this Fall. For some an AC/DC Porty Lithium 12 may become an all around lighting solution for their shooting needs.

I should mention that Hensel also makes the Porty Lithium 6, which is a 600w/s unit. Given the fact that there is only a $330 USD difference between the price of the Lithium 6 and Lithium 12 generators, I personally would be hard-pressed to consider the less powerful unit as the Lithium 12 offers more “pop” for the buck! Hensel also offers a robust line of light shaping tools, many of which are attractively priced.

In order to give photographers an opportunity to experience all that the Porty Lithium 12 offers, Hensel USA has been making several two light kits available for rental through their dealers across the country. The Porty Lithium 12 Kit has been in New York at Fotocare, and in Los Angeles at Samy’s. You can check the Hensel USA Website for the current location of the kits for rental or contact Sharon or Mark Gottula through the Website for additional information.

Note: The images displayed are of the two head rental kit and may show and/or include items that are not a part of the one head kit available for purchase.